Highschool of the Dead: Desolation
by spectre1alpha
Summary: Takashi vanished for 2 years after discovering Rei and Hisashi together, heartbroken and despondent, he disappeared. He's back. This time he's a Special Forces Operator. Wherever the Reaper walks, desolation follows.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone, this story will roughly follow the anime episodes and then the manga afterwards, this is purely due to the fact it is easier for me to write based off visual stimulus. It'll probably be 1 chapter per episode (In relation to the anime) and after that it may vary. This story will feature several OC's and an OOC Takashi. Most events will be similar to the main story; some things will differ (obviously) due to Takashi's change. The story will mostly be written in third person with snippets of POV's. Also for story's sake, Takashi is 15 when he left and is 17 when he comes back and Saeko is turning 18 (Just to avoid weird age conflicts etc.). The story will also feature flashbacks to events during Takashi's 2 year break. Also please excuse any wrong Japanese phrases as I'm not Japanese and I'm not very fluent in the language at all.**

**Also this story will feature a lot of military lingo and specific equipment so just google it if you're not sure of specific acronyms or whatever. The first chapter won't delve in Takashi's occupation but the ensuing chapters will explore his new life as an Operator.**

****2 Years before Outbreak****

"Look Takashi, we were just kids… You don't seriously believe I would have gone ahead with that right?" Rei spoke solemnly. She and Hisashi stood there nervously, looking at the dejected Takashi.

"But.." Takashi spoke up, his voice trembling slightly.

"But nothing, Hisashi has been here for me when you so carelessly neglected me, I wasn't going to wait around forever for you."

"Look Takashi its best if you leave" Hisashi added.

The pair almost flinched at the completely downhearted eyes of Takashi when he looked up at them.

"I...I guess you're right, I don't..I don't know why I thought a pinkie promise meant anything…"

"Takashi we were kids…"

Takashi gave them a sad smile, one that just couldn't cover the crushing hurt that was enveloping him. He shook his head almost hesitantly, "I wish you both the best" he whispered before turning and sprinting way, as if he could escape the oncoming heartbreak and suffering he knew would follow.

He ran with a heavy emptiness that threatened to overwhelm his very being, looking back at the school, his eyes began to brim with tears. _"I need to disappear, there's nothing for me here."_ He thought depressingly. With shaky hands he dialed a number he thought he'd never use.

"Well?" rumbled a deep enigmatic voice.

"I'm in" was all Takashi replied before hanging up and throwing the phone away.

"TAKASHI!"

He spun around to see Morita running up to him with a book in his hands, face filled with glee. Morita halted to a sudden stop when he saw Takashi standing miserably at the school gate, his eyes a dam of tears on the verge of collapsing.  
>"What's wrong Takashi?" he asked anxiously, his mood quickly shifting to one of concern and care for his long-time friend.<p>

"Goodbye Morita-san, you've been a good friend"

With that statement, Takashi left a bewildered and confused Morito standing at the gate, staring at his slowly distancing form. It was the last anyone saw of Takashi for a long time.  
><strong><br>**When Takashi didn't turn up to school the following day, no-one blamed him for it, many of his friends knew what he and Rei shared, but they also felt a guilt as they knew Hisashi and Rei had been going on for quite some time, it only seemed to heighten the betrayal. On the other hand while Rei and Hisashi felt slightly guilty, they were too caught up in each other to really notice anything.

As the days passed into weeks and the weeks turned months, Takashi had yet to appear. No-one had heard from him for the entirety of his disappearance and concern was growing amongst his few friends. When Morita had brought it up with the school principal, he was simply brushed off, "It's none of your business, now back to class Morita." Taking matters into his own hands, Morita had visited Takashi's house, only to be met by an empty house. It lay void of anything as if no-one had ever lived there, leaving little information to Takashi's whereabouts, relaying this news to the friends who still cared about Takashi at this point; mainly Saya, who mounted her own investigation, questioning her parents who similarly brushed her off. Despite her continuous and growing complaints, her parents remained adamant on not revealing Takashi's location or his activity. Being the 'genius' she was, she made a mental note in the back of her head, ensuring to follow this up eventually.

The end of the semester came before long and Saya found herself standing in the same spot Takashi always stood in. She sighed, feeling extreme exasperation.  
>"Where are you Komuro…"<p>

The question was lost in the wind as was the time that passed before Takashi finally returned.

**Desolation - Line Break**

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Takashi stood rigidly at his old spot. It had been two long years since he had seen Japan, old emotions springing from the recesses of his mind. His time away had certainly helped mask and overcome some of the heartache but it was something that would never leave him. Despite the monumental maturing he went through, he couldn't deny that he was still prone to bouts of teenage angst. He leaned on the railing, his eyes observing the multitude of battle scars that ran along his forearms. He knew his sudden appearance at the school coupled with his extreme change in physique and form would raise questions but it mattered little to him. He was only there to finish his last years of schooling before he could fully immerse himself into his new life.

He mentally ran through his SOP (Standard Operating Procedures), no-one could know who he really was, as far as they were concerned, he was a depressed teenager who had isolated himself due to personal problems. _"Won't get me any friends, but friends aren't what I'm here for" _he thought to himself.

The teachers and Principal were vaguely aware of why he disappeared, _"_Official Government Business" he scoffed out loud. He'd have to keep most of his off-duty carry gear hidden: he stashed his MOLLE Assault Pack in his locker, which contained all the gear he'd need on a short notice, as for his personal side-arms, a pair of specially crafted pistols, he'd keep in a shoulder holster under his school jacket. _"As long as nobody gets a visual then it'll be fine, was a pain in the arse getting the permit to carry these around in the first place" _he thought as he patted the weapons affectionately. With his major concerns placated, a quick glance at his watch told him it was nearing class-time.

Sighing tiredly, he pulled away from the railing and began his walk to class, his steps laced with a developed precision not normally found in a high-school teenager. His steps didn't make so much as a squeak as he moved and his posture was in a constant state of readiness, prepared for any situation. It was second nature and he paid no heed to it.

Stopping at the door to his class, he put on his icy façade, he had a cover image to uphold. Any sudden changes in his personality would arouse suspicion, though the quite not-so-subtle two year absence from human contact would do that perfectly fine.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu" Takashi spoke quietly, bowing respectfully at the teacher. Shocked gasps, widened eyes and the intake of breath described the actions of almost every class member. Saya glanced at him furiously,_"Where the hell has he been!? And why does he look so different?" _She thought quickly, analysing and noting all the changes on his body. She couldn't deny the spark of attraction at his built form, his once slender form turned into a well-proportioned and muscled body. He wasn't overly muscly but they were definitely visible, his shirt almost constricting him. Her concern was raised by the numerous scars that littered whatever skin was exposed, "_Hmm, wherever he was must have been dangerous…painful too. What have you been up to Komuro" _She questioned in her mind. She flinched when his cold eyes met hers, they were emotionless, but the deadliness could be seen in them, his look sent ominous shivers down her back. Snapping her head away from him, she huffed indignantly her arrogant nature setting back in, _"It still doesn't excuse the fact he disappeared for years, who does he think he is?"_

In the short moment of turning away from the teacher and moving towards his chair, his eyes took in the faces and reactions of everyone in the room. His eyes gave an automatic cursory scan of the room, sharply ingraining the details into his memory. Many were staring at him surprised, which was expected, he made short eye contact with Saya, who huffed at him before turning away, _"Same old Takagi" _he mused before running his mind quickly through the other faces.

Rei and Hisashi looked at him, _"Was that worry on their face?"_ Takashi pondered before laughing inwardly, while in retrospect, it was just a teenage heartbreak, it didn't do anything to reduce the pain he felt. He might be older and much more experienced now, but the past is what made him who he is and by hell was he going to forget it. He was above revenge at this point but he still revelled in the fact that they were worried he would do something. Part of him still cared about them both however, Rei and Hisashi had been his longest friends and if it came down to it, he'd probably die for them, as he would for several others. But for now, he had a persona to stick to, he couldn't break his cover lest his operational status become compromised. Morita on the other hand was grinning wildly at him, he seemed genuinely happy to see Takashi again. Allowing the slightest upturn of his lips, barely noticeable, he sat down in the chair next to Morita and focused on the lesson. Old Takashi would have found school boring and unenticing, wiser Takashi knew different. School was knowledge on a platter, knowledge that may one day be necessary to survive.

As the class grew accustomed to Takashi's presence again, they noticed that he barely spoke, in-fact, he barely did anything. He just looked at the board with calculating eyes that seemed to analyse everything in their sight. His imposing figure forced hesitant approach by those who tried to talk to him whilst a cold look repelled further conversation. He was very different from the Takashi they once knew and they weren't sure whether they wanted to know this new one.

**Z-Day**

A week had passed and Takashi found himself at his old spot again. His new mindset told him that this position didn't offer the greatest tactical advantage in terms of a fire-fight but he found sentimental value in the spot. He stared out at the city. His head snapped to the side.

"Thinking of running away again?" asked a feminine voice behind him. He grunted dismissively in reply. Ignoring his attempt at brushing her off, she continued.

"Why can't you tell me where you went Komuro?" He turned around, eyes piercing into hers.

"Because Takagi, you might not like the answer" he responded in a deadly tone.

"You left because of Rei and Hisashi didn't you?" she snapped back. He visibly stiffened before secretly reprimanding himself for his temporary lapse of weakness.  
><em>"Hit a raw nerve I see" <em>Saya thought to herself.

"What does it matter, I left, now I'm back" he almost growled out at her.

"It matters, because you come back, looking completely different and acting like nothing has changed." She retorted. He flinched when he leaned forward towards her face, stopping inches away, he whispered coldly;

"Oh I've definitely changed."

With her trademark arrogance, she turned away from him and huffed. "Whatever, you can't mope around forever Takashi" she spoke quickly before returning to class.

He chuckled darkly at himself and turned back around to lean on the railing. He figured he should probably return to class but they were going over things he had already studied himself, it was all just recycled knowledge if he had stayed. He had authorisation from higher-ups allowing him to leave at a moment's notice and it was a privilege he used when he deemed necessary.

He stared into the horizon; he was suddenly snapped out of his thoughtless stupor when a rattling caught his attention. Peering down at the school gate, he observed with eagle eyes as a sluggish man was pressed up against the gate. The man moved with an eerie slowness that set off Takashi's battlefield senses. His gaze slowly shifted to the three teachers who approached the man. He watched in close scrutiny as the strange man bit down on the teacher's arm without so much as a moment's hesitation. Takashi's hands instinctively felt for the 2 pistols he kept discretely hidden in shoulder holster's inside his school jacket, feeling secure with them there, he quickly refocused on the scene below him. An ominous feeling stirred in his gut that something big was about to happen and he knew he had to get as much information as possible to determine the best possible course of action.

Takashi flinched in surprise when the bitten gym teacher who had just had mysteriously died from a simple bite wound on the floor suddenly rise again and bit into the female teacher's flesh with a blood lust. Takashi's shoulders flared as his body's senses began to heighten. Blood pumped faster as adrenaline began coursing through his veins as his mind subconsciously prepared for battle. He quickly deduced that it was some form of infection. It was something extremely reminiscent of a zombie movie. He assumed it spread through bites and possibly exchange of body fluids but that didn't seem to be the case which was fortunate. It wouldn't be difficult to set up a quarantine zone and send in containment units to clear out infected. What was extremely unfortunate he realised, was that the whole city would be caught unaware and it was about to turn into a shit-storm since there was no military presence in the city.

"Fuck." Was all he said before sprinting back to class, _"I need to get my friends out of here, there's going to be widespread panic if the infection turns out to be a pandemic, I won't be able to take care of a whole school. It's best to save my friends while I can, maybe I can kill something on the way." _He thought to himself, his body was becoming much more active in excitement for the bloodshed he knew was definitely was also aware his plan was restricted to only the present, it didn't have any future goals or backups but that didn't matter right now. He needed to get whoever he could to safety before the carnage begins.

Sliding to a sudden stop at his classroom door, he took a deep breath before kicking it open with the fury of a God, his size and strength allowing the effect he wanted.

"KOMURO! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" shouted the furious teacher. Ignoring him, Takashi walked up to the back, where those he knew well sat.

"We need to get out of here" he said, voice calm and steady.

"What are you talking about Komuro, and why do you look so dishevelled?" Saya snapped at him.

"2 Casualties at the gate, zombie-like infection, I highly advise evacuation" he said with a little more urgency before grabbing Rei and Morita's arms, who were the ones in reach. Everyone frowned at his strange language, Morita simply laughed and looked at him incredulously while Saya turned back around to face the teacher. Rei shook him off and shouted at him; "Now wait just a minute! You've been so distant you can't just expec…"

She never finished as Takashi slammed his fist down on the table in a rare show of emotion. The others gasped as Hisashi stood up and walked to his friend who he had betrayed so long ago.

"You're serious…" he said in recognition.

"Yes."

"Come on Rei, we need to go" Hisashi said.

"But…"

"No, if what Takashi is saying is true…" he left the query hanging in the air, a pang of fear stirring within him.

"Follow me to my locker and I'll explain everything on the way." Takashi said as he locked eyes with the pair. Inclining his head slightly at Morita and Saya, he questioned them quickly,

"So are you two coming?"

"Count me out Komuro" Saya said stubbornly.

"Sorry Komuro, me too" replied Morita. Takashi shrugged then sprinted out of the room with controlled haste. He knew panic and chaos were about to ensue so he had to maintain control of himself. He began to run to his locker.

"So what happened?" panted Hisashi as he ran alongside Takashi.

"Possible hostile was being investigated by 3 teachers when he bit one who died on the spot, victim then stood back up and bit another teacher, seems to be some sort of zombie infection." He puffed back, the physical exertion having the least effect on him out of the trio.

"You don't seriously expect us to believe that" Rei wheezed from behind.

"I feel like there's going to be a lot of things you're not going to believe by the end of the day Miyamoto" he stated simply.

Stopping at his locker, Takashi procured a large black military pack from inside. The other two looked on with wide eyes as he pulled off his school jacket and his two deadly looking pistols came into view. He threw the jacket to the side before pulling out a bulletproof vest along with combat webbing and quickly donning it. He looked up at the shocked and slightly fearful pair. "Hisashi, go into the Janitor's closet and break the broomstick into a spear." His tone left no room for doubt. It portrayed a controlled calmness despite what he had just claimed to have happened. Hisashi nodded quickly before going off to do his assigned task.

"Takashi…Why do you have guns and all this equipment?" she whispered breathlessly, as if she didn't believe what she was seeing. She visibly shook when Takashi looked her in the eyes,  
>"There's a lot about me you don't know Rei" was all he said as he hefted the MOLLE pack onto his broad back. Hisashi returned with a fashioned spear and handed it to Rei. She accepted it confusedly.<p>

"What do I need this for?"

"If what Takashi said is true, then we're going to need weapons, which we don't have." Hisashi spoke quickly, looking at Takashi who nodded back in agreement.

"What about you Hisashi?" She asked worriedly.

"I may not look it, but I'm a black belt in Karate."

"I'd advise against close-combat Hisashi, hostiles transfer through physical attack" Takashi warned.

"I can handle myself Takashi"

"I'm not going to force you but I am letting this warning stand very clear, utmost caution must be enforced when facing whatever this infection is. It's transferred through bites so any close combat should be avoided" he spoke, the certainty in his voice almost forcing Hisashi to change his position and grab a weapon. However he shook his head in stubbornness "I'll be fine Takashi."

Takashi shook his head in disapproval, too many were too sure of their own ability to consider failure. He had seen many fall because their arrogance and hubris prevented them from acting with caution. A deafening clang was heard as Takashi whacked out his expandable baton and giving it several customary practice strikes. **(A/N, Check out these things, they're cool as shit, the same baton the Australian and British police use, google it)**

"I thought you said to avoid close-combat, why aren't you using your guns" Hisashi said, a look of irritation on his face.

"I have 5 magazines for my pistols. 1 already loaded in each pistol, 2 in my socks and 1 specially hand-loaded mag in my back pocket, bullets don't come out of thin air, I'll use it when it's absolutely necessary" Takashi spoke back, voice void of any emotion.

"Why would you bring only 5 with you?" questioned Rei.

_"Oh the naïve and inexperienced" _Takashi proclaimed inwardly before replying "Because if the situation requires more than 5, then 2 pistols isn't going to be enough to remove me from whatever shit-storm I stumble into."

They raised their eyebrows at his language, something he had developed after spending 2 years with a unique assortment of soldiers. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone before handing it to Rei, whose face raised in realisation at what he wanted her to do. She dialled the police number with panicked haste. Her face paled as her lips began to quiver. _"So I'm right, this is an epidemic and the city is probably going to shit right now" _Takashi thought seriously to himself. _"This complicates things, widespread panic with untrained civilians coupled with a police force unprepared to deal with a situation like this means that this is only going to get worse."_

"Attention all students!" a distraught voice blared through the P.A. System. Takashi swore, an announcement would do nothing but set off a panic and chaos throughout the school.  
>"Get to the roof" he spoke, tone serious. Hisashi and Rei looked at him confusedly.<br>"NOW." Takashi growled, leaving no room for discussion.

The three set off sprinting, extensive panic had set off as the P.A speaker was violently killed behind them and exiting through the classrooms and hallways would be a slaughter. The trio suddenly found their path barred by an infected individual. Hisashi and Rei stopped and stared in horror while Takashi examined the threat. Luckily for the three, there was only one of _them. _The roar of escaping students stampeding through the hallways could be heard behind them.

"Approach with caution, unknown hostile capabilities, stay out of bite range" Takashi stated, eyes analysing the infected man. With a sudden start, the infected man began to move towards them, Takashi stepped forward without a moment's hesitation and delivered a skull-crushing hammer blow onto the infected man's head, a combination of Takashi's immense strength and momentum splitting the man's head open and spraying his brains in a bloody mess over the nearby railing and floor. The other two were shocked at Takashi's actions, while he looked at the body thoughtfully.

"Head blows seem effective, I recommend piercing the brain or delivering high amounts of blunt-force trauma to stop brain function, if those both seem unachievable total removal of the head should be sufficient." Takashi spoke quickly. Hisashi and Rei stared at him completely awed and slightly frightened, this was the first time this week that Takashi had spoken so much and they were concerned about how it was only about how to kill something effectively. Takashi looked at them, as if he read their minds he spoke:

"You...you just killed him!" Rei exclaimed; her hand clasped at her mouth.

"I could tell you a great deal more about how to permanently kill things" he grinned maniacally, unconcerned about their growing fear of him. Before they could reply, a terrified scream permeated the air. The trio looked out over the railing to see a girl be consumed by a horde of _them_. The school was already overrun. Sticking to his original plan, Takashi ushered them in the direction of the roof; there was no way they were going to escape yet. It would be wiser to find a strategic stronghold and consolidate their position before planning anything.

As they reached the rooftop they looked out at the city. Fires and gunshots littered the city. Absolute anarchy had taken over, that much was evident from what Takashi was seeing. There was no way the military would be able to contain a situation like this, the JSDF wasn't suited to this kind of disaster and the police were ill-equipped to deal with it also. His mind wandered to the whereabouts of his squad as well as their status but he quickly dismissed those thoughts, they would be fine, "_Crazy motherfuckers were born for this, fuck me, I'd be lying if I wasn't excited" _Takashi thought to himself. He turned around to face Rei and Hisashi, missing the sudden blooming of 5 black parachutes over the city.

"Well, situation is officially FUBAR, how lovely." Takashi joked, before realising his company probably had no idea what he was talking about. He quickly snapped his head up when he heard a familiar sound approaching, with a sudden roar, 5 UH-60 Blackhawks passed overhead. Rei's eyes were suddenly filled with hope as she waved her hands in the air, trying to attract the attention of the already distant helicopters.

"HELP US!" she screamed, voice laced with a now dying hope that they would be saved.

"Don't bother, that's QRF, they've got their orders and it's definitely not to save civilians."

"QRF?" Hisashi questioned.

"Quick Reaction Force, not going to bother guessing what their objective is" Takashi replied.

"Will the military be able to help us?" Rei asked; a trace of hope still in her voice.

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

Frustrated with his short responses, Rei's already fragile temperament snapped;

"What is wrong with you, why can't you just explain things to us, you disappear, come back and all this happens and yet you still haven't changed!" she shouted, anger taking over. Takashi simply looked at her with cold eyes before looking at Hisashi expectantly, waiting for him to take control of his girlfriend. Sighing, Hisashi pulled on Rei, who collapsed into his arms and shouted into his shoulder.

"Why does this have to happen, why can't things just be the way they were" she sobbed.

Takashi's head snapped to the stairway that lead up to the roof, several of _them_ were approaching, he rubbed his chin in thought, _"So sound is a sense they detect humans by, I'll have to determine whether their other senses are affected to fully be able to understand the threat."_

The sounds of Rei's shouting had attracted an increasingly larger number of _them_, eyeing the Observatory, which had 1 point of entry, he surmised that it would be optimal to barricade the stairway until he could contact for an evac. He turned is head back to Rei and Hisashi;

"Move towards the observatory, I'll take point, stay out of reach and do not get separated from me or you will most definitely die."

The trio set off towards the stairs, Takashi aiming powerful swings at any incoming infected, spraying blood all over the rooftop. His steps were careful and deliberate, constantly positioning himself with his back covered by Rei and Hisashi and the forefront of _them_ always in his view. However his confidence in the pair accompanying quickly faded when Rei was caught by one of _them_ at the base of the stairway.

"Fuck!" He swore before moving to help her, however before he could reach her, Hisashi had recklessly tackled the infected man off Rei, crashing to the ground with a thud. The rash move had put them in a quickly deteriorating situation, he shouted at Rei to assist Hisashi with the infected man while he moved towards _them_ to hold them off. His steel baton clanged loudly against the infected skulls as they approached but he knew he was losing ground. A loud scream from Hisashi pulled his attention from the horde, keeping his front faced towards _them_; he turned around, seeing the infected man biting into Hisashi's arm. Abandoning his efforts to hold _them _at bay, he quickly ran towards the infected man, bringing his combat boot down with an almighty thump as he squashed the infected man's head. Rei was standing there helplessly, her shock at seeing Hisashi bitten combined with her inexperience in combat left her in near comatose conscious state.

"REI, GET UP THOSE STAIRS NOW!" Takashi all but roared at her, the urgency clear in his voice. She snapped out of her daze and ran up the stairs. Picking up Hisashi he rushed up the stairs and placed him down against the railing.

"We need to set up a barricade, Hisashi I know you're in pain but now is not the time to give in to a little pain, man up, grab some tables and chairs and help me block off the stairway." Takashi ordered. Rei looked almost outraged at Takashi's insensitivity towards Hisashi's wounds. Before she could say something Hisashi was already up and helping set up the barricade.

Several minutes passed before the barricade was finally set up, it was crude and had some structural weakness, but it was all they could work with. Hisashi was slumped against the railing with Rei looking over his wound while Takashi had emptied his Assault Pack and Vest and took inventory. He let out a long breath and shook his head. The gear was sufficient to get him out the city and link up with friendly forces but he knew it wouldn't be enough to get a group of survivors or hold up. He made a mental list of what gear he had:

- 2 Pistols + 5 Magazines  
>- Communications Headset and Radio<br>- Expandable Baton  
>- Kukri Knife<br>- 4 Grenades, 1 Frag, 1 Incendiary, 2 Coloured Smoke Grenades  
>- First Aid Kit<br>- Night Vision and Infrared Goggles  
>- Suppressors<br>- MRE's and other Miscellaneous items.

A violent cough caused his shoulders to stiffen. Hisashi's condition was rapidly deteriorating. Takashi knew this was only going to end in two ways; either he would put down Hisashi now or he would kill him after he turned. His heart clenched when the gravity of the situation hit him. He didn't want to kill his once best friend but he knew he wouldn't have a choice. Knowing he would gain no pleasure from this, he reluctantly reached for his pistol and looked over at the pair.

"Takashi..." he sputtered between bloody coughs. "You know what you have to do" Hisashi wretched. Rei's head snapped between the two of them, clueless to what they were talking about. Takashi scrunched his eyes shut and took a deep breath, chambering a round in his pistol and kneeling down towards Hisashi.

With his as much determination as he could muster, Hisashi gave Takashi a firm nod. Takashi gripped his pistol and took aim. Rei gasped and moved to stop Takashi but Hisashi raised his hand to stop her.

"Take care of her for me Takashi" He whispered to Takashi as his last vestiges of strength faded.

"I promise."

Takashi pulled the trigger.

Hisashi's form slumped to the ground, lifeless. Rei looked almost hysterical and was on the verge of tears. Takashi stood up, his body trembling. Angers rolled through him in waves, the rage was threatening to take over.

_"None of this should have happened, this isn't how it's supposed to fucking be. I was supposed to finish school and then fucking go, but no, life just couldn't throw me a bone._

He let out a long breath.

_What a fucked up day. Put a bullet through my once best friend, make a stupid promise to keep his girlfriend alive in a zombie apocalypse. The girl who betrayed me too. Fuck. What a fucking week this is going to be."_

"Wh..why did you do that!?" Rei screamed at Takashi frantically. Takashi calmed himself with a breath, his emotionless façade back in place. He said with finality:

"Hisashi knew he was going to turn, he didn't want you to see him as one of _them_, he knew it was inevitable so he chose to go, he chose to go on his own terms, I gave him the quick end he desired."

"Then why don't you shoot me too! I don't want to live like this" she screamed back.

"Because I made him a warrior's promise and I will see the world burn before I turn back on it. I told him I'd keep you safe and that's exactly what I'm going to fucking do."

"You, you probably killed him because of what happened all those years ago!" Rei shrieked; her voice despaired. Takashi shook his head in irritation, he growled back at her;

"Don't think that I'm the same weak, emotional Takashi you once knew, what happened 2 years ago doesn't make a fucking difference when the world is ending now does it? Whatever reasons you think or whatever you feel isn't going to bring him back, he gave his life to protect you, he died with you in his heart and head, every second you spend trying to deliberate or blaming life is dishonouring his sacrifice, he didn't die so you could give up and quit, he wanted you to survive so just fucking live! For him at least…" Emotion had seeped into his voice as he said what he could.

"_I'm not a fucking psychologist, I have my own demons to deal with, for fuck sake teenage girls are so melodramatic and stupid." _He thought angrily to himself. Before he could stop himself he continued:

"This may come as a fucking surprise to you, but the world isn't all sunshine anymore, the world is ending and you can't sit around moping about wondering why, all that's left to do is survive. The rest can come later."

**That's all for now folks. R&R and let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions. Constructive criticism only please, but if you feel like insulting me go ahead.**

**- Spectre**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello everyone, couple of things to address before the chapter starts:  
>1. Yes, I am very well aware of the complications with Takashi being a 17 year old Spec Ops soldier, this is not your typical Spec Ops per se, think of it more as one of those teenage-spy books where the main character is a conveniently trained spy. Takashi's situation is similar, except he was put through a much more gruelling training. The ParamilitarySpec Ops group he is part of is not your traditional Spec Ops, they are not a force based off a real life counterpart, this Special Forces Unit is completely unique to this story and their background will be explained in further chapters.  
>2. My sincere and deepest apologies for not updating for so long, school was a lot busier than I thought it would be so I haven't had time.<br>3. I'm Australian so some spelling forms may be different, additionally Australian gun laws are quite strict so my knowledge on weapons won't be as in-depth beyond what I read/research. Also I'm not part of the military (yet).  
>4. Addressing "LolaTheSa's" review, you must have the emotional capacity of a doormat. There's a reason why he disappeared for two years and joined the Spec Ops, all that anger he had built up suddenly doesn't mean shit when you're put through the most mentally and physically demanding training of all time. Two years is a lot of time to get over some melodramatic teenage heartbreak. You think he's going to be a dick when there's a zombie apocalypse going on and his once best friend is dying? Yeah didn't think so.<br>5. I'm debating whether to write multiple perspectives or to simply write from the perspective of Takashi, let me know what you think in the reviews. **

**TL: DR: Everything will be explained eventually, Chapters as soon as I can and I'm Australian. Multiple perspectives or single perspective? **

**I don't own HOTD. Otherwise there'd be more guns and more military action. **

Giving himself several minutes to recuperate, Takashi began to meticulously pack his gear again. Rei was sitting down, leaning tiredly against the wall with her eyes closed; she had just received a talking-down that emotionally drained her and wasn't ready to do anything yet. Moving his thoughts away from her, he figured military action wasn't a possibility yet, the threat had only just emerged and officially speaking, he wasn't a compliant with the JSDF nor was he officially sanctioned to assist. Determining that he should continue his original plan of getting his 'friends' out to safety, he turned promptly around to Rei.

"We should get moving soon" he said, breaking her out of her worn-out stupor. Her head snapped up and she stood up quickly, her face lighting up slightly before turning to Takashi;

"Give me your phone I want to try call my dad" she spoke, hope lacing her voice once again. He handed her his phone without a word, pulling out his radio at the same time. She gave him a puzzled look before dialling her father's number on the phone.

"Takashi?" answered a gruff voice over the phone.  
>"Dad?"<br>"Listen Takashi, I'm sure you're aware of the situation, get Rei ou…" a pause was heard as a gunshot rang out through the phone,  
>"Get Rei out of the city ASAP, the city is in a state of panic!" The call was dropped shortly afterwards. Rei looked at the phone confused, "I just had him and the call is now out of range?" she stuttered out, face fearful and worried at her father's situation. He simply shook his head at her, <em>"Standard communications must have been taken out" <em>he concluded. He knew his satellite phone would remain working no matter what but there was no point in using it at the current moment, he settled for sending out a long-range transmission on his radio.

"Mobile and telephone networks are all most likely down; I'll try to make contact with Command with my radio."  
>"What?" she spoke, puzzled by his words, eyes tearing up. '<em>Fucking civilians' <em>He thought to himself. He shook his head scoldingly at her before pulling out his radio.

"Radio check, requesting sit-rep from any elements on this channel" he spoke quietly into his radio. Several seconds of silence ensued before he received a return transmission, a coarse voice replied:  
>"This is Spectre, Contingency Desolation." For the first time in a very long time, he felt the oncoming of a long-forgotten emotion return, fear. His face paled as he put down his radio with shaky hands. Contingency Desolation was one of those things that you had as a far-fetched back-up plan and no-one actually ever expected to use. It meant the absolute destruction of humanity. Desolation for Takashi meant an extinction level event. Desolation had only one objective in mind. <em>"Survive at any cost." <em>

He smiled despite himself, it also meant using force was now allowed and the ROE (Rules of Engagement) was now weapons free. His fear was quickly quenched by his mounting excitement for bloodshed and unrestricted violence.

"_Finally…" _

He hadn't had enough situations where he could put all his killing skills to the test, he had already grown to despise civilian life in the two weeks he was living it. He had grown accustomed to fighting, whether it was sabotage in some backwater countries or full blown assaults on fortified compounds in the war zones happening, Takashi had grown to love the adrenaline and rush of war, and he knew the longer he spent in civilian life, the worse he would become over time, civilian life had hurt him before and there was no way in hell that was happening again.

The coming of the unfortunate events to plague the city meant that he didn't have to try anymore, he could be who he had become over the last 2 years and freely make use of the abilities he had gained. Particularly those related to killing.

Rei flinched at his bloodthirsty expression, the Takashi she knew wasn't anything like she knew, _"But then again, I turned him into what he is…" _Even though it happened two years ago, the guilt still ran deep inside her, and every time she looked at Takashi, those feelings would resurface. Part of her still wanted Takashi and held onto the hope that they could start something together again, but the rest of her knew he wouldn't. Her body perked up when Takashi finally spoke.

"Time to go" he spoke with decisiveness. Taking one last glance at Hisashi's dead body, he moved towards the makeshift barrier, baton in hand. The rumbling and groaning of _them_ could be heard beyond it. He rolled his neck in anticipation, before bringing full force of his body into a kick that propelled the tables forward. The cracking of skulls and tussle of falling bodies was heard as _they _were launched down the stairs, blood painting the ground like a crimson dawn. He began to walk carefully down the stairs, ensuring he was out of reach of any stragglers which fortunately, weren't many. Swiftly dispatching _them_ with furious blows of his baton, he turned back to see Rei at the top of the stairs staring wide-eyed at him, a tint of fear underlining the confusion that ran through them. He inclined his head towards the stairs they headed up to get to the roof; she looked at him confusedly before nodding her head in assent and recognition.

He took a deep breath before smiling to himself, _"Time to get to work"_ he begun to move towards the stairs, the floor slick with the blood of fallen monsters and littered with broken bodies. He absently rubbed the roof of his pistol again, a habit he seemed to commit to quite frequently. However his limited supply of ammo kept him from drawing it, he was saving it for the important targets e.g. Humans. The only advantage _they _had was numbers, other than that, they relied on an easily deceivable sense and moved too slowly to be effective against a trained Operator. Humans were an unknown variable in a combat situation, everyone was an unknown factor. Their motives were always unknown and you never knew when they could betray you.

He felt her pause while they were walking down the bloodstained stairway.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly.  
>"Rendezvous with any other survivors, RTB, rearm and resupply and try to make contact with my squad and get a proper situation report on what's happening."<p>

She gave him another bewildered look, one that was starting to grate on his nerves. He growled inwardly to himself before giving an exasperated elaboration.

"We're going to see if there are any other survivors, go to my house where I have transportation and weapons, I'm going to try making contact with my slightly insane Squad Leader and Sergeant and find out what exactly the fuck is going on."

On the other side of the city, two men lying prone killing obscene amounts of _them_ from a roof contentedly gave sudden and violent sneezes.

"What about your parents?"

"Safe." Was the only response she got, Takashi gave a scanning glance at the stairway, before starting to move again. His desire for a proper weapon was growing exponentially, while his two Nighthawk Custom M1911s were powerful and great for CQB and last resorts, they wouldn't cut it for some sort of zombie apocalypse. He required something that could put out much more damage than two pistols. It also helped that he kept his Range Rover in a near permanent state of perfect condition…and the fact that it was mounted with a Mark 47 on the roof.

The school was now an eerie quiet, the soft pad of Rei's footsteps were the only thing that could be heard while they moved. Takashi planned on finding Saya and Morita if possible, he assumed Saya would have quickly deduced the situation, she didn't call herself a genius for nothing, so he assumed they'd be heading towards the teachers faculty or to transport. He decided to give the ground floor a preliminary scout before leaving and heading to his house. He momentarily deliberated on whether to search the Nurse's office but quickly put away that thought; bites couldn't be stopped through medical means yet, not unless there was an antidote or anti-body cure which he highly doubted.

He glanced back quickly at Rei, who looked away quickly when she realised he was looking at her. Takashi knew she wanted to say something but whatever it was, it wasn't the time.

His mind strayed to the origins of the infection, he was certain that another branch of the organisation he was part of would have sent out an enormous force to find out what happened, when shit like this went down, when masses of civilians were affected, they did not fuck around, it went from business to personal. His unit in particular wouldn't be part of those investigative efforts; their goal was simply to survive at this point. They wouldn't get any help from command, but that was exactly what his unit specialised in, long-range, no communication and isolated was how they operated.

Takashi had no idea where his squad actually was, having left them a week ago. If he was to take a guess, he figured they'd have forcefully commandeered a ship or barring access to one, they'd be happily rampaging through an infested city.

**Desolation – Line Break**

Thunderous bangs tore across the air as two black-clad soldiers fired their M417 Sniper variant and M107 respectively. The precise sniper fire from the both of them continued to drop numerous infected. The pair lay down on the roof of the hospital, providing a web of safety upon which civilians were able to flee to the hospital and evacuate via the military helicopters. They were relentless in their killing, taking obvious joy in the free fire zone the apocalypse was providing them.

The M417 shooter, known as 'Spectre' who was also Takashi's squad leader was methodical in his shooting. With calm and deadly grace, his rifle pivoted smoothly as he swapped from target to target, every bullet hitting its mark. He wore the standard uniform of their organisation, nothing on the exterior to distinguish his leadership position to possible hostiles. He was what Takashi considered the perfect soldier, a defined instrument of war and killing. Meticulous in his execution of missions and operations, he was a well-rounded soldier with no specialisations, rather choosing a complete warrior approach to his abilities. Aside from his DMR, an MP7 lay at his side with a M870MCS shotgun slung across his back. Every visible pouch was filled with ammunition or essential equipment, with the majority of their supplies on the pack of his partner. A tightly fitted bag held a conversion kit for his M417, allowing it to swap between a battle rifle and assault rifle.

Opposite to him lay the M107 shooter, a bulky figure whose body barely recognised the recoil of the powerful rifle. He was known to the squad as "Earthshaker." If Spectre was a well-oiled tool of precision, then the Earthshaker was the shattering blunt force that complemented him. Covered in plates of Kevlar, the man was a force to be reckoned with. His immense strength allowed him to not only carry the hefty M107, but also a MK48 light machine gun, which appeared to be anything but that. His methods could only be described as having an unstoppable juggernaut bearing down upon your position to deliver righteous fury, specialising in shock and awe tactics as well as heavy assault. He was also responsible for the transportation of squad supplies and ammunition, meaning he was the pseudo mule of the group.

After the immediate area had been cleared of _them_, the pair looked at each other before giving quick smiles. This is what they trained for, what they lived for, the thrill of combat and the camaraderie they shared.

Unfortunately for the Spectre, who carried the weight of ensuring the squad's wellbeing, he was unaware of the status of the other operators in his unit. Five of them dropped feet first into Tokonosu City with one already in the city. After hearing from Takashi, he scratched his wellbeing off the list, certain that Takashi could take care of himself; he was more so worried for the three operators who split off from the parachute formation, thrown aside by unforeseen circumstances.

While he and Earthshaker were somehow tied by fate to forever work as a flawless duo, the other three were innate lone wolves, only joining the squad mentality through Spectre's leadership. This usually led to his extreme frustration, but it helped alleviate some of the worry he had for them.

"What are you thinking?" Earthshaker asked quietly, his voice laced with an eerie calm that never broke, no matter how much pressure he was under.

"We dropped feet first into hell; we're cut off from command, surrounded and alone. The only course of action is obvious of course" Spectre spoke, voice confident and unwavering, a testament to his ability to command and fight under duress.

"Regroup and push forward!" Earthshaker responded heartily, allowing his booming voice to emerge.

Spectre gave him a small smirk before placing his rifle on the group and pulling out his conversion kit. His movements were almost automatic as he quickly disassembled his rifle and swapped out his 20inch barrel for a 12inch one. Earthshaker was likewise swapping out his weapon, breaking the M107 down for easier transportation and hefting up his MK48, whose rounds were compatible with Spectre's M417.

Spectre looked at Earthshaker who gave a quick nod of affirmation. It was time to move out.

**Desolation – Line Break**

"AH!"

A feminine scream pierced the quiet atmosphere. Takashi's head snapped towards the source of the sound.

"Let's move" he breathed before setting off in a flurry of movement.  
>"Takashi wait up!" he heard Rei shout after him, he paid no mind as he bulldozed his way through the lingering infected, adrenaline fuelling his limbs as he struck brutally and mercilessly while running.<p>

He skidded to a sudden halt when he arrived at the trophy corner, two things registered in his mind. One: Saya had drilled one of _them _in the head and several more were approaching her, Two: two buxom women had showed up beside them, an unknown purple haired beauty carrying a bokken and the airheaded, bubbly nurse at the school Ms. Shizuka.

Assuming that the purple haired girl was the combatant, he nodded quickly to her before shouting "I'll take left hostiles, you take right!" before springing into action. His blows lost no power or speed as he manoeuvred deftly between _them_, delivering quick and sharp blows to the head with his baton, permanently killing _them_. His mouth almost dropped in awe when he observed the attractive woman decimate _them_ with such lethal elegance that he knew he would never be capable of. Her body seemed to flow naturally with the current of battle, sliding smoothly into powerful strikes and agile swipes. Her eyes gleamed with something he was all too familiar with; the utter loss of oneself to the fires of battle. She gave a wicked smile as the last of _them_ fell, others may have found it psychotic but to the scarred Takashi, she was utterly beautiful.

He snapped out of his admiring gaze and quickly secured the area, closing the doors and finishing off any stragglers while Rei and Shizuka rushed over to Saya. He turned around to find the face he was attempting to recognise looking at him inquisitively, her sapphire eyes appraising him quickly. A slight pink tinge appeared on her face when she noticed the rugged and handsome Takashi looking amusedly at her before asking;

"We are all acquainted with the school nurse, Ms. Marikawa yes? I'm Busijima Saeko of Class 3-B" she spoke evenly, as if the recent combat had little effect on her. Panting slightly, Takashi replied:

"Komuro Takashi, Class 2-B" he paused, considering whether he should inform them of his status as a Special Forces Operator, classification be damned. Shrugging, he continued:

"Sergeant, Call-sign: Desolator. Operator of Phantom Squad, Titan Special Operations International"

He observed the slightly overweight boy perk up at this while the others stared wide-eyed at his introduction of himself. 'Kohta' if he recalled correctly was raking his eyes over Takashi's outfit and gear, before almost jumping up giddily and loudly announcing:

"Hirano Kohta, Class 2-B Sir!" Takashi raised an eyebrow in response before Rei spoke;  
>"I'm Miyamoto Rei of 2-B, Sojutsu Club."<br>"Pleasure to meet you all" Saeko spoke, giving an easy smile, keeping Takashi within her peripheral vision.

Takashi heard Saya scoff before she stood up.

"You're all so soft!" she exclaimed. Takashi narrowed his eyes at her, observing her carefully, noticing that she was displaying symptoms of a mental breakdown.  
>"Takagi…" Rei started.<br>"Don't treat me like I'm stupid! I'm…I'm a genius! I can do anything once I put my mind to it" she shouted heatedly. Before Takashi could act, Saeko had stepped up and placed her hand pacifyingly onto Saya's shoulder.

"That's enough" she spoke softly, voice supportive and caring. Before long, Saya burst into tears, crying intensely into Saeko's chest.

The rest of the group stared on sympathetically; all aware of the effects of whatever was happening on their own mentality. Takashi shook his head impassively, having seen this too many times before, soldiers breaking down when the reality of their situation hit them with the force of an artillery round. He knew they could not stay where they were for long however, before long the area would be swarming with _them_ being attracted by the sounds they were creating.

"We need to move, this area isn't secure, I suggest the teacher's lounge, we can secure the keys to some transportation and exfiltrate out of the area" he spoke out clearly, stressing the need for them to move. Saya looked at him and gave a weak nod before she and Saeko stood up gingerly. Kohta gave him a quick salute to which he chuckled. He could see the boy was bursting at the seams to ask him questions about his occupation, only now did Takashi remember the boy was considered a military otaku in the class.

"Let's move" he ordered, his Sergeant attitude slipping in. They moved at a brisk pace, the journey itself was quiet, as was the school, Takashi knew it as the calm before the storm, the brief respite before they were thrown back into the fire.

They arrived at the abandoned teacher room, everyone splitting off to do different things. Takashi looked around and sighed, the room itself was tactically terrible as a defensible position, two entrances/exits did not make for a fun time in an onslaught.

"Rei, secure the doors, Saya, go get yourself washed up, Hirano go with her, Saeko and Ms. Marikawa, you two take a break while I catch our bearings" he ordered before walking over to the chair and slumped into it, allowing the adrenaline of the day's events thus far to drain away and the tiredness to set in. He took the opportunity to get a better look at Saeko. He could not deny he found her extremely attractive, the fact she was a battle-trained warrior goddess only increased that tenfold, while he didn't exactly get the opportunity for any romances over the last two years, he still had feelings albeit not many. The heartbreak from Rei and Hisashi years ago had all but washed away at this point; he had bigger fish to worry about. He noted Shizuka giving him a strange look in his peripheral vision, her eyes betraying her bubbly personality. She wasn't who she made out to be.

Figuring now was a better time than any; he drew both pistols from their holsters, placing them on the table before him. Pulling out his maintenance kit, he began the careful process of stripping, cleaning and reassembling his weapon, ignoring the cries of embarrassment from Kohta and Saya.

He felt Rei's presence behind his shoulder, she was watching pensively as he mechanically went about his business, still not entirely sure who Takashi really was and what he did. Kohta on the other hand looked like Christmas had come early, jumping to Takashi's side and firing an endless barrage of questions.

"Is that a custom Nighthawk M1911!? Are you really a Special Forces Operator? How come I've never heard of Titan International? How did you become an Operator?" he chattered excitedly. Takashi noticed everyone else turning around and looking at him expectantly, all of them curious.

He exhaled forcefully, knowing that not telling them would reduce squad efficiency, as their curiosity may hinder their performance or trust in him in the future. He spun around on his chair and faced them.

"I'm sure you all have questions but I don't have all the answers. The reason I'm dressed in my military kit and have guns is because I work for an International unit of Special Forces Operators, the most highly trained soldiers in existence. The reason you've never heard of who I work for and what I do is because everything we do is classified; now while I shouldn't be telling you any of this, the situation is FUBAR enough for me to forgo the regulations. Long story short, I left two years ago due to…extenuating circumstances and became a Special Forces Operator, two years later I've served in enough operations to deem myself worthy of a couple of years of rest to complete my schooling for the sake of it before I can return to full service. Obviously that plan has completely fucked itself and now my current orders are simply to survive, which I fully intend on doing, whether you choose to stay with me is up to you."

"That's a lot to take in Takashi-san" Saeko spoke, her eyes glimmering with a hint of respect and dare she say it; desire. She was finding herself attracted to the man before her more and more. Rei on the other hand looked slightly horrified, it was her actions that had sent Takashi away, the reason why he disappeared was because of her, and she felt terrible because of it. Before she could speak, Takashi cut in:

"Listen Rei, whatever happened two years ago is done, yes, you broke my heart and you broke me but that was long gone and done. I'm not the person I was back then, I'm a soldier now, and my feelings don't mean shit because my life was forfeit a long time ago. Stop worrying about what you did because not everything can be fixed" he spoke bluntly.

"So that's why no-one would tell me what happened to you…" Saya spoke quietly.  
>"Yes, my activity at the time was classified; your parents and the school Principal were given the bare minimal information about the nature of my absence."<p>

Takashi finally turned to Kohta, who looked ready to burst out of his seat. Takashi gave another haggard sigh before allowing Kohta to have his time with him.

"You get 3 questions, make them count."  
>"How did you get the rank of Sergeant within two years and what is Phantom Squad?"<br>"The esteemed rank of Sergeant was bestowed upon me after operations during a coup d'état in some backwater African country. Phantom Squad is a long-range squad specialising in operating without the presence of a command structure or HQ communications. "

"Can I use one of your pistols?" he asked eagerly, hope sparkling brightly in his eyes.  
>"No."<br>"But I…"  
>"No."<p>

They both turned when they noticed the television being turned up.

"The government has started to do something about this on-going revolt. However the politicians…"

The group was interrupted by Takashi's laugh, which boomed darkly through the room.

"Revolt…typical political bullshit, hah, don't get me fucking started. This situation is fucked up beyond all repair but guess what, when you're stuck in hell do you know what you should do?" he asked the group, a smirk on his face.

"What?" they all asked.

"Regroup and push forward."

**A/N: Thanks for reading, Read and Review…or not, whatever. Take care all. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, new chapter…finally. Real busy at the moment, so writing is extremely sparse, will try to get the next chapter out soon. Got a Naruto and Sekirei fanfic on its way so make sure to check that out when they get released. **

The television was promptly shut off when Takashi had seen enough. The government was running damage control. That much was obvious and despite their efforts to maintain order, he knew total anarchy would ensue soon. His best choice of action was to find a fortified position, preferably one with a sustainable energy source and steady provision of food and water. He knew hoping that the oncoming apocalypse would only last for a couple months at the most but that was futile hope.

"We can consider the government completely useless right now, chaos will only spread without a complete shutdown and quarantine by the regular military who aren't very good at what they do" Takashi began. Saya gave him an evaluating look, looking uncomfortable by not being the one who was doing the explaining to everyone. Before she could speak, Takashi continued;

"This is without a doubt; one of the deadliest pandemics to hit the Earth, by my estimation, without effective military action, the remaining uninfected population of the planet will have been assimilated within several weeks, months at the most."

He looked at his group, noticing their despondent looks. Saeko was the only one who seemed to retain a semblance of calm while Shizuka's hazel eyes flashed a calculating look before returning to her regular ditzy persona. Takashi knew something was off about her, he would find out soon enough. Rei began to back away from the T.V.

"I can't believe it took a couple of hours for the world to come to this" She grabbed the sleeve of Takashi's fatigues, who quickly shook her off. She frowned at him before continuing;

"Don't you feel the same; there must be some place that's safe right? And maybe soon, things will return to normal."  
>"Don't get your hopes up for anything. After this, there's no chance for things to ever return to normal, the world will never be the same. There is no place on land that is safe except for isolated islands and naturally perilous areas like mountain regions. I'm assuming most countries have transported their chain of command onto their respective naval fleets before launching military operations."<p>

"You said that the military might be ineffective, does that include your mysterious little organisation?" Saya smirked. Takashi raised his eyebrow at her jab before rolling his eyes.

"Titan International aren't a bunch of glorified soldiers, we're Special Forces, the best at what we do, if I had to make an educated guess, Vanguard Battalion whose specialty is defensive operations will already be balls deep into the action, probably cleansing some city, Scimitar will be tasked with finding out who and why this infection is occurring, Reaper battalion, well… Who knows what they're doing" he paused, taking in another breath.

"Unlike the rest of the planet, we have contingencies for situations like this, the only problem I have is getting all of you to safety, and as much as an arsehole as it makes me sound, I'm focussing on this group only" he explained quickly. He spotted Saeko's frown, who looked conflicted with his reasoning.

"Is there a problem Miss Busijima?"

"You said you're focussing on this group only, does that mean you'll let anyone else we come across die?" she deadpanned.

"Don't get me mistaken, we can help others to the best of our ability but our safety remains priority, I already have a gauge on your abilities and personalities, new ones could conflict team cohesion and efficiency and that's not something I'm willing to risk."

"Valid reasoning, I apologise for my interruption" she bowed her head slightly in deference to him. He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound in his voice which brought a slight blush to her face.

"It's not a problem, I might be damaged goods but I'm not heartless."

Saya raised her eyebrow at him.

"What I'd like to know is how and why you're part of something like this group? It's a little convenient that a week after you arrive, all this starts happening?"

Takashi stared at her, his eyes turning cold.

"I don't like what you're insinuating there Saya, opinions like that are best kept to oneself, lest they…affect morale" he growled, self-control waning. Saya visibly flinched at the coldness in Takashi's voice.

"Want me to remind you why I ended up a fucking soldier?" he growled. Saeko frowned at his behaviour, placing a calming hand on his forearm.

"Please calm down Takashi-san" she spoke softly, hand remaining on his arm, something Rei took note of. Takashi took several breaths, remembering that his friends didn't go through what he went through.

"My apologies, I suggest we prepare to move out, commandeer a vehicle in the parking bay and move towards one of my weapons caches."

It was Shizuka who replied this time;  
>"You have weapon caches?"<p>

He smirked at her, before racking a clip into his pistol.

"Let's move out."

**Desolation – Line Break**

While Takashi and his group were preparing to move out, two black-clad men were already doing so. Roaming out from the hospital, the pair set out to penetrate into the heart of the city. Spectre and Earthshaker were cutting a bloody swathe through the hordes of infected; they were ruthless and efficient, calmly dropping bodies with precise shots. They were moving down the overrun roads, manoeuvring swiftly between broken down cars and bodies. Fire and reload, fire and reload, this was the only thing they had been doing for the past hour.

Their objectives were numerous but simple. Kill everything infected being on sight, assist any survivors and attempt to rendezvous with any of their squad where possible.

Billowing pillars of smoke curled over the skies, overlooking the carnage like birds of prey. Desperate cries and helpless screams permeated the air, doing little except for attracting more of _them_. Gunshots similarly pierced through the skies, attracting the attention of two operators.

"Semi-automatic fire, 68 degrees north-east, echo puts it at 3 blocks away" Spectre said mechanically, accustomed to automatically calling out potential threats.

Their advance slowed, the city streets were chaotic, police were nowhere in sight, civilians were running around wildly with rampant infected filling the roads. Armed bandits or hostiles presented a very real threat to the operators. _They _moved slowly and relied on hearing, bandits on the other hand, all it took was one lucky shot to put an operator out for good.

The pair came to a halt at the corner. Spectre peeked tentatively at where the gunshots were emitting from. He observed a woman being forcefully dragged into a two story shop, her cries for help doing little. He knew exactly what they were going to do and it pissed him off to no end.

"Barricaded building, two stories, six hostiles, one on the second floor and five on the bottom, small arms weapons, 40 metres" he said quickly to Earthshaker, who merely nodded before moving out from around the corner, sighting his weapon on the man on the second floor.

"Ready to engage" he rumbled.  
>"Engage."<p>

A storm of steel erupted. Gunfire from Earthshaker's machine gun ripped the man apart mercilessly. The men dragging the woman hurrying inside, firing wildly back at the pair. Their rounds pinged uselessly off burning vehicles. The entrance was suddenly barricaded by piles of furniture; the windows however, were boarded up with wooden planks and connected to a fragile looking wall.

"Move to breach, mountain charge these fuckers" Spectre motioned to Earthshaker. They ignored the roaming infected who resumed wandering around aimlessly, the chaotic noise of the city preventing them from locking onto a target.

They moved to the front of the building, a convenience store from what Spectre surmised. The entrance was completely blocked off, no entry method possible, but the thin walls opened up new opportunities.

He nodded to Earthshaker, who grinned back. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, he charged through the wall, bulldozing through wooden planks and thin plaster walls. The unfortunate soul standing behind the wall found himself dashed against the floor, the concussive force of a mountainous soldier with a shoulder full of Kevlar charging had killed him instantaneously.

"SOMEONE CALL FOR AN EARTHSHAKER?" he bellowed at the shocked men, who limply held their pistols and shotguns at their side. Spectre; taking advantage of the situation rushed in behind him.

He fired his shotgun at the nearest man on the left side, splattering his insides over the wall. Pumping another shell, he fired at the next man, throwing him against the wall.

Earthshaker in the meantime had hefted his machine gun up and sprayed the targets in the middle and the right down. Unfortunately for them, the one holding the woman had fled into the back room, taking the hostage with him. The pair moved cautiously down the lone aisle, there was only one entrance to the backroom and neither of them had any flashbangs.

"If you go out in the streets today, you're sure of big surprise" Earthshaker sang loudly. Spectre shook his head at Earthshaker's antics, he always sang in situation like this simply to nerve the target out.

"Who the fuck are you guys!?" he yelled, fear evident in his voice, they could almost hear the trembling of the man's hands from around the corner.

"Fuck, my usual line sounds so cliché, give me something cool to say" Spectre whispered hurriedly to Earthshaker, who shrugged at him.

"Well fuck, you go in first."

The earth seemed to rumble as Earthshaker rushed into the room. Sure, it was suicide for a regular person to run into an obvious gun line but Earthshaker was no regular person. He was the wrath of the gods and they would not be denied. It also helped that he was packed full of armour.

"HAHAHAHA" he cackled when a single pistol round impacted his chest, leaving no visible effect. He tilted his head, staring into the fear-ridden eyes of the man.

"My turn now" he spoke before firing a single shot through the right eye of the man, spraying his brains over the wall. The woman they had dragged in collapsed to the floor, whimpering in shock at the turn of events.

Spectre rolled his eyes behind his visor, having a man's head explode probably wasn't healthy for the average civilian female to witness, but then again, there were fucking zombie-like things walking around. He walked over to the woman, weapon at his side; she had curled into a ball, as if warding off the horrors that were happening.

"Ma'am, it's okay now, you're safe" he reassured, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. Silent tears continued to fall as the woman remained unresponsive.

"You are going to die if you stay laying down there" Earthshaker spoke out. Spectre glared at him, _"Real fucking tactful Earthshaker."_

"Miss, I'm going to pick you up and carry you to somewhere safe okay?" he spoke softly to the woman. An almost imperceptible nod was the only reply he got. He gingerly picked her up into a bridal carry; her arms instinctively went for his neck, burying her head into the nook of his neck.

He flicked his head at Earthshaker "Provide security, egress to the nearest evac zone, move out."

**Line Break – Desolation **

The group stood on a balcony overlooking one of the school's courtyards.

"Avoid contact, only combat when necessary, save your strength and for fuck sake; avoid getting too close to them. They seem responsive only to sound, so as long as everyone stays as quiet as possible, we'll make it to the vehicles" Takashi briefed quickly. Saya nodded her approval which had Takashi rolling his eyes.

"Sergeant!" Kohta called as quietly as he could.  
>"What is it Hirano?" His eye followed Kohta's finger, pointed at a group of <em>them<em> who were cornering several students on the stairway. He snapped into action.

"Kohta take out the approaching hostiles from the rear, Saeko; move to engage now!"

His baton in his arm, he rushed down the stairs, pivoting his entire upper body into a powerful hammer blow, breaking through the cranium of the infected. Saeko followed suit, graceful blows to _them_, felling them with little hesitation or effort.

Within mere moments, all of _them_ had been eliminated and the previously trapped students stood stunned.

"Are any of you bitten?" Takashi asked, wiping the blood off his baton onto the nearest body. They shook their heads frantically at him, eyes taking in his vest and guns.

"Follow us, we're moving to the vehicle bay" he ordered.

The group proceeded cautiously through the hallways and buildings, thankful for the lack of _them_ thus far. Unfortunately for them, the area between the stairway they were huddled on and the vehicles were absolutely infested with _them_. It was as if every student had congregated there to get bitten. They roamed aimlessly around, not a single uninfected person in sight.

"_Fuck" _Takashi thought. The only way past was if something provided a diversion. He turned to the group;

"Here's the plan, I'm going to go down there and throw something at the lockers down the hallway. These hostiles will move towards that and we'll have a clear shot to the doors, from there, I'm going to throw my grenade as far away as possible, and we'll rush towards the bus. Got it? Good."

Without waiting for a response, he moved down the stairs and stepped quietly into the midst of _them_ all. Everyone's eyes widened as they watched Takashi slip uninterrupted through _them_, they widened even further when he flung a shoe into a locker in the perpendicular hallway, causing a loud clang that attracted all of _them_ towards it. Soon enough, the hallway was clear and Takashi motioned for them to come to the doors.

"Get over here and don't make a fucking sound, make sure your shit is secure so no fuck ups occur!" he hissed. The group rushed down, holding their weapons and items close to them.

He let out a tiny breath when they all got to the doorways without too much hassle.

"Phase 2, the moment the explosion goes off, run like hell to the bus."

Takashi yanked the pin off the fragmentation grenade, sprinting outside a few steps and threw it in the opposite direction of the vehicles. It landed with a thump in the midst of _them_ who crowded around the object.

Tick. Tick. Boom.

An ear shattering explosion temporarily deafened the group; they stood at the doorway disoriented before a shout from Takashi brought them out of their stupor.

"GET FUCKING MOVING!"

They all began to race to the bus, batting away any of _them_ remaining. Takashi rushed to the door and flung it open, gesturing for everyone to hurry inside.

"Hirano, Saeko, set up a perimeter defense. Shizuka get this vehicle operational" he spoke as calmly as he could muster.

While the majority of _them_ had been attracted by the explosion, the cacophony of noise caused by Takashi's group did not go completely unnoticed. The stragglers lumbered towards him and Saeko. He easily parried them away and sent quick blows across their skulls.

"Takashi-san, everyone is inside, time to leave"

"After you" he gestured. She smiled at him before getting on; he quickly followed, batting away the last of _them_.

"Are we good to go?" he asked Shizuka, who seemed completely baffled at the bus controls before her.

"This is nothing like my car!" she whined.

"Just get it star…" he began before being stopped by a distant call.

"WAIT FOR US!"

He peered into the distance, spotting another group running right past the horde he had distracted moments ago. The noise of their desperate calls and footsteps completely nullifying whatever advantage Takashi had created.

"For fuck sake" he cursed to himself. He identified the tall lanky man as Koichi Shido, the teacher of class 3A. The same man who held Rei back a year, the same man whose father was involved in suspicious activity that almost got one of his fellow operators killed and the very same man Takashi desired nothing more than to crush beneath his boot.

"Hold the bus Miss Marikawa" he ordered. Rei dashed to him and grabbed his arm.

"Why are you saving him!?" she shrieked

"It's not him I'm saving, I know exactly how much of a worm he is, rest assured" he spoke lowly, shaking her off. He watched as Shido waved the students toward the bus, allowing them to run past. Takashi's eyes narrowed as anger built up as he watched Shido step down on the head of a student who had fallen, leaving him behind as bait. Shido fixed the cuffs of his suit before moving smugly towards the bus, unaware that Takashi had watched it all happen.

"No-one gets left behind…that motherfucker" he muttered furiously. He stopped Shido at the door, leaning in to his ear, his enormous form towering over Shido's smaller frame. He whispered menacingly:

"I know what you did fucker, don't think I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your head, scum."

He grabbed Shido roughly by the collar and threw him forcefully into the bus aisle. Shido's face scrunched up with anger as Takashi sneered down at him.

"Don't push your luck you piece of shit, you're lucky I'm feeling merciful or I'd have killed you for what you did" Takashi snarled. He looked at Hirano, pointing two fingers at his own eyes and then pointing at Shido _"Keep an eye on him." _Hirano nodded at the unspoken command, rotating subtly in his seat so his nail gun pointed at Shido.

Takashi turned and placed a hand on Shizuka's shoulder.

"Drive."

He didn't notice the grin she sported when she slammed on the gas. The bus barrelled over _them_, smashing through the gates and onto the roads, Shizuka somehow maintaining perfect control of the bus despite the speed and sharp turns; something that did not escape Takashi's notice.

"_Something is seriously off about her"_ he surmised. He stayed quiet as they drove towards the city, intent on visiting their houses. He let out an exasperated huff when he heard commotion behind him, he knew what was about to happen.

"_Fantastic, another moron who wants to play the alpha dog. Dissonance breeds like a fucking yeast infection, best to stomp it out now." _

One of the blonde haired males in Shido's group spoke up yelling to the bus occupants.

"Look! We'll never make it if we keep going, why the hell are be going back to the city when we could be finding somewhere safe to stay!?" he shouted.

Another boy piped in; "Yeah, we could have stopped at somewhere safe like that convenience store."

Without warning, the bus skidded to a stop in. Shizuka turned back at the passengers and shouted  
>"I can't drive when all of you are yelling!" Frustration and strain could clearly be heard in her voice. The blonde look surprised. Saeko took the opportunity to speak out;<p>

"Then what do you wish to do?"

He looked at a loss for words before pointing at Takashi;

"I can't stand this guy!" He yelled. Takashi sneered at him, rolling his neck before leaning towards him.

"That so? Do something about it then" he goaded.

"Why yo…" he was interrupted by Takashi's brutal head-butt, a sickly crunching noise could be heard as the teenager fell to the floor moaning in pain. Takashi leaned down to the student, whispering intimidatingly:

"See where that line of thinking got you?"

He looked up to see faces of fear and distress from the other occupants. Rei looked horrified at his actions while Saya and Kohta's eyes held a hint of respect. Saeko simply nodded at him while Shido had taken the time to get out from his chair and slowly approach Takashi.

"This conflict is a clear indicator that this group needs a leader. I think my status as a teacher shows that I'm the most qualified here to lead the group" he spoke boastfully, motioning to the rest of the students.

Takashi gave him a deadly smile, allowing him to continue.

"If I am allowed to lead, I can prevent any further conflicts, what do you all say?"

He was answered by reluctant applause that grew into outright support for him. They all stopped when they heard the uproarious laughter of Takashi, his mirth containing an almost outright deadly tone to it. His laughter stopped immediately, his fists slowly clenching.

"Your first mistake" he started, sending a lightning jab at Shido's face, hitting him square in the nose.  
>"Was thinking" he continued, punching Shido, this time in the glasses, causing him to recoil in pain.<br>"This was a fucking democracy!" he roared, before delivering a head jarring haymaker, sending Shido into the chairs and slumping to the ground in pain. The bloodthirsty grin he had grown slowly disappeared as he stared at his handiwork. Satisfied with the result, he looked at the now terrified students.

"Let it be said, that we are the only reason you have survived thus far, it is by our actions that you have transport. I think Mr Koichi's eyesight has deteriorated more than he realised. I am the one with the guns, I am the one with the experience and I am the Sergeant here. Let this serve as a reminder that I will not have my authority challenged, this is the last time something like this happens, if any of you have anything to say, speak your fucking words now or forever hold your silence."

The students all shook their heads quickly at him, as if he were a god whose fury had to be sated.

"_Good." _

He turned back to his group, noticing Rei's missing presence.

"Where the fuck is Miyamoto?"  
>"She ran outside when the students started clapping" Kohta hastily informed.<p>

He barged outside, shouting at Rei's form that was walking towards the corner.

"MIYAMOTO YOU GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, I DON'T RECALL GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO DO ANYTHING" he bellowed at her with as much authority as he could. Her body stiffened when she heard his shout, her feet seemed to be frozen as she heard his approaching footsteps.

"Where the hell do you think you're going" he asked calmly, his stony expression betraying nothing.

"We shouldn't have saved him Takashi-kun" she replied, her face dipped down in deference to him.

"Regardless of your feelings on the matter, by exiting the vehicle, you have potentially endangered the lives of our group, what if you were surrounded? What if someone died trying to get you back onto the bus?" He chided, used to reprimanding the younger operators he had trained with. He gave her a moment to mull over his words before she gave an almost unheard apology.

"Sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, just don't do it again. Let's get bac…" His eyes widened before he jumped into action, he grabbed Rei by the waist and pulled her into the tunnel, not a moment too soon as a bus barrel rolled against the tunnel, separating him and Rei from the bus. The engine began to roll in flames as he saw Saeko's head appear.

"Are you two unharmed!?" she frantically asked.

"We'll be fine, rendezvous at the East Police Station, 7 P.M, allow for a 3 day window!" he ordered loudly. He turned to find Rei slumped against the floor, his sudden movements had knocked the breath out of her. Pulling her onto his back and sprinting for the other end of the tunnel, not a moment too soon as the bus exploded into rolling flames he could almost feel singe his butt.

"Fuck me" he swore, before chuckling at the events that had taken place.  
>"Haven't had this much fun in ages" he mused out loud. He was taken back when he was suddenly besieged by a helmet wearing infected that jumped at him from the top of the stairs. His reflex kicked into action and he pivoted on his heel, sending his leg out in a bone-breaking kick that flung the man against the ground before stomping violently on the man's head. Rei took the time to stir out of her near-catatonic state and blushed almost immediately at her position on Takashi's back, her breasts pressed firmly against him.<p>

"Takashi…?" she groaned out softly.

"Nice to see you awake, we got cut off from the bus so we're Oscar-mike on foot to the city to rendezvous with them. Unless we can find the motorbike that dude was riding" he quickly briefed.

He spotted the motorbike at the bottom of the incline he was standing on; he jogged quickly to the bottom.

"Anytime is a good time to get off my back, you're restricting my angle of movement and combat effectiveness by staying on" he said, unaffected by the almost erotic movement of her body against his. Her face flushed before she dropped onto the ground, watching reticently as Takashi prepared the bike to ride.

"It's no ghost-rider but it'll have to do…" he commented softly to himself.

"I didn't know you had a driver's license" she said teasingly.

"I've got more than a driver's license, got my airborne wings, signalling and combat medic license, advanced demolitions license, water operator, sniper and uh a bunch of other shit you probably don't care about" he sent back.

She gave him a small smile as he gestured for her to get on. Her arms wrapped around his stomach as she subconsciously felt the rock hard muscle beneath. Ignoring her ministrations he spoke:

"You good?"

She sighed and leaned against his back whispering almost soundlessly;

"Stay with me Takashi…"

He rolled his eyes and revved the bike to life, punching it to full speed towards the city.

"_Uh right, whatever" _he deliberated.


End file.
